Automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus



y 1961 E. K. BASTRESS ETAL 2,982,531

AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 1 MM/ AT,TO R NE.

May 2, 1961 AUTOMATIC Filed March 28, 1955 E. K. BASTRESS ETAL 2,982,531FEEDING AND HEAT TREATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 22a i f INVENTORSERNEST. K.BASTRE$$ CLARK; C. SYKES BY ERNES W- WEAVER .ATTORN Y y 1961E. K. BASTRESS ETAL 2,982,531

AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1955 I5Sheets-Sheet 3 I 46a, 5.9 |.i

A M 1 56 5 w i 64 J gi M/aa. l I -o 0* M i 62 56 10f L 1 i 3m 3312. o vl l Billy fig fl CLARKE c .sY K ES i BY ERNEST W.WEAVER I ATTORN Y2,982,531 Patented May 2, 1961 'AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND HEAT TREATINGAPPARATUS Ernest K. Bastress, Clarke C. Sykes, and Ernest W. Weaver,Toledo, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Midland-RossCorporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 28, 1955,Ser. No. 497,222

11 Claims. c1. 263-33) This invention relates to apparatus forautomatically feeding relatively small size articles toequipmentrequiring accurately metered charges.

Equipment of the type to which this invention is especially applicableare continuous furnaces having conveying means such as rotating retorts,belts, rotating hearths, vibrating hearths and gravity feeds. Suchequipment may require both controlled rates of charging in regularcycles and accurately metered charges.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device by meansof which an efficient automatic process for feeding, at controlled ratesand in regular cycles, accurately metered charges of relatively smallsize articles may be carried on.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus by means ofwhich an etlicient continuous heat treating process may be carried on.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the followingdescription, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawingsillustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure I of the drawings is a side elevational view, partly in verticallongitudinal section, of a heat treating furnace.

Figure II is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, ofapparatus for automatically feeding relatively small size articles, atcontrolled rates and in metered charges, to the heat treating furnaceshown in Figure I, an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of whichfurnace is illustrated in the right hand portion of Figure II.

Figure III is a diagrammatic end elevational view of the drum and itssupport as seen from the line III-III of Figure II.

Figure IV is a side elevational view as seen from the line IVIV ofFigure III.

Figure V is a vertical sectional view taken along the line V-V of FigureVI showing a second embodiment of the drum illustrated in Figures IIIand IV.

Figure V1 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line VIVI ofFigure V.

Figure VII is an electrical wiring diagram of a circuit used incontrolling the feeding of metered charges to the furnace shown inFigure I while the horizontally disposed furnace tube is rotating.

Figure VIII is an electrical wiring diagram of a circuit used incontrolling the feeding of metered charges to the furnace shown inFigure I while the horizontally disposed furnace tube is stopped.

Figure IX is a diagrammatic view of the furnace tube as seen from theline IX-IX of Figure I showing a cam used in stopping the tube duringthe feeding of a metered charge. Also, the cam may be on a shaft outsidethe furnace.

Figure X is a diagrammatic view of lever mechanism which may besubstituted for the lever mechanism shown in Figure III.

These specific drawings and the specific description that follows merelydisclose and illustrate the invention, and are not intended to imposelimitations upon the claims.

Apparatus for automatically feeding relatively small size articles toequipment requiring accurately metered charges includes lever mechanism,a load receiver carried by the lever mechanism and adapted to rotate fordis charging articles contained therein, and circuit means controlled bythe lever mechanism for signalling when the load receiver contains aspecified load.

In the apparatus disclosed in the drawings, articles to be heat treatedare heated while being advanced in a horizontal direction along ahelical passageway within a rotatable conveyor tube 1 (Figure I)extending longitudinally in a heating chamber 2 defined by a refractorylining within a substantially gas tight metal casing 3. The helicalpassageway is formed by a helical rib 4 in the conveyor tube 1. Duringthe heat treating process, the

conveyor tube 1 is rotated back and forth, whereby the articles to beheat treated are moved back and forth with a net advance. The heatedarticles are discharged from the conveyor tube 1 through a ring of holesin the tube at a point above a chute 5 which extends through the bottomwall of the heating chamber and into a quench tank (not shown).

At its discharge end, the tube 1 is supported by a stub shaft 6 which issupported on an underlying roller bearing 7 mounted in an opening in theadjacent end wall of the heating chamber 2, the exterior-side of theopening being sealed substantially gas tight by a collar 8 mounted onthe shaft. A worm wheel 9 is keyed on the stub shaft 6 to oscillate theconveyor tube 1 and the wheel is driven by a power driven worm 10.

The charge or article receiving end of the conveyor tube 1 extendsthrough an opening in the front Wall of the heating chamber 2 and issupported for free axial movement due to thermal expansion on rollerbearings 11 mounted on a supporting stand 12. A gas tight seal is formedabout the projecting end of the tube 1 by a boxlike casing 13 extendingfrom the front end wall of the heating chamber. The article receivingend of the conveyor tube 1 closely surrounds but does not touch astationary tube 14, shown in enlarged detail in Figure II, extendingthrough an opening in the front wall of the casing 13. The front end ofthe conveyor tube 1 has a surface turning on a bearing 15 mounted on thetube 14 to form a gas tight seal. The bearing 15 is slidably mounted onthe tube 14 for axial movement to accommodate thermal expansion andcontraction of the conveyor tube 1. The exterior side of the opening inthe casing 13 surrounding the tube 14 is sealed substantially gas tightby a collar 16 mounted on the tube.

Article transfer mechanism of any preferred kind such as an ordinaryvibrator 17, driven by a motor 18 suitably mounted on a frame 19,extends through the stationary tube 14 and into the front end of theconveyor tube 1. Asbestos fire cloth 20 provides a flexible andsubstantially gas tight seal around the vibrator 17 adjacent the frontwall of the casing 13. Since gas of controlled composition is used toenvelop conveyor tube 1, a hinged flap valve 21 (Figure II) is providedto reduce the effective discharge area when the valve is pushed open bythe downcoming articles being fed into the furnace.

Accurately metered charges are fed automatically into the furnace atcontrolled rates and in regular cycles, the particular rate, cycle andamount of the charge depending on such varied factors as the type ofarticle, weight charged per hour and the furnace cycle. The apparatusfor feeding includes a load receiver or metering drum 22 carried onlever mechanism having one arm of a lever 23 fulcrumed at 24 on a framestand 25. The other arm of the articles being heated in the- I into thevibrator 17 for transfer into the furnace.

the lever 2 carries, and is counterbalanced at least in part by, a motor26 and a gear reducer 27 turning a drive shaft 28 journaled in a pillowblock 29 also carried by the arm of the lever. Work, later to be chargedinto the furnace, is fed'into the drum 22 either manually or by anypreferred type of loading device such as an ordinary vibrator 30 (FigureII), driven by a suitably mounted motor 31, until a predetermined weightis reached as set by a poise 32 on the lever 23. The loading device orvibrator 30 should have a relatively narrow discharge chute to minimizethe number of articles that could over-balance when the motor 31 isstopped and drop into the drum 22 as excess weight. When the drum 22contains a specified load, the drum and its lever arm move downwardlyand allow opening of a limit switch 33which either operates a signalwarning the operator manually feeding work into the drum 22 or shutsoft" current to the motor 31 of the vibrator 30. V

The metering drum 22 is mounted for rotation on four flanged rollers 34rotatably mounted in brackets 35 fixed to one arm of the lever 23. Thedrum 22 is rotated to discharge the specified load of articles containedtherein Rotation of the drum 22 is caused by the turningof a chain 36extending in a looped path around a gear 37 on one end of the drum andaround adrive gear 38 on the shaft 28. As specifically disclosed, theload receiver 22 is shown in the form of a drum rotatable about agenerally horizontal axis, as indicated by the arrow in Figure III.However, the load receiver 22 could be in other forms such as a bucketor hopper rotatable about a generally horizontal axis either generallyparallel or perpendicular to the axis oi rotation of the drum 22.

In addition to delivering a measured load from the drum 22 according tothe adjustable weight setting of the poise 32 on the lever 23, anotherfeature of the feeding apparatus is in the way which said measured loadis delivered without jamming the vibrator 17 which is especiallysusceptible to such jamming at the flap valve 21 when irregularly shapedarticles are being fed into the furnace. The actual time cycle duringwhich the load is delivered from the drum 22 may be controlled by thespeed of rotation of the drum and by the length of time that the drum ispermitted to rotate.

To prevent jamming of the vibrator 17, a plurality of vanes 39 aremounted on the inner periphery of the drum 22 for depositing articlescontained in the drum, during rotation of the drum, in limited numbersat one time onto a stationary discharge chute 40 extending into thedrum. When the drum 22 is rotated, articles in the drum are picked up inlimited numbers by the vanes 39, directed toward the chute 4t anddropped onto a surface 41 of the chute having an arcuate shape todiscourage the hanging up of irregularly shaped articles. When thedischarge end of the chute 41) is high above the vibrator 17, a bafi leplate 42 is provided to guide articles discharged from the drum 22 ontothe vibrator 17.

A second embodiment of the means for depositing articles contained inthe drum in limited numbers at one time onto the discharge chute duringrotation of the drum is shown in Figures V and VI. This modification isespecially useful in avoiding possible harmful dropping of the articlesonto'the discharge chute. A plurality of permanent magnets 43 aremounted in spaced apart relationship on a non-magnetic drum 22a, theholding power of which magnets are adjusted by shimming away from thedrum, and hold articles in the drum against its inner surface. When thedrum 22a, which may be made of ferrous metal, is rotated on rollers 34aclockwise as indicated by the arrow in Figure V, a stationary stripperplate 44 scrapes the articles from the inner periphery of the drum intoa stationary discharge chute 40a.

The conveyor tube 1 oscillates at a constant rate with a netadvance. Theadvance on each complete oscillating cycle is controlled by anadjustable clock-timing of the advance and the reverse of the motordriving the worth 10 (Figure I). As the heated articles move in ahorizontal direction along the helical passageway within the conveyortube 1, that flight or space between a spiral of the helical rib 4adjacent the article receiving end of the conveyor tube 1 becomes emptyand must be regularly refilled to maintain an eflicient continuous heattreating process. In order to provide a feeding cycle which will deliverthe measured load from the'metering drum 22 in a cycle resulting inuniform loading of the furnace, the feeding apparatus is provided witheither an electrical control circuit as shown in Figure VII or a circuitas shown in Figure VIII, the use of either circuit affording the choiceofa variety of metered loads to the furnace.

When used on a rotating retort furnace of the type shown in Figure I,except for time required for loading the metering drum 22, the furnacetube 1 may be charged continuously, or it may be charged only on theforward rotation of the conveyor tube 1, or only when the conveyor tubeis stopped. If the volume of work loaded per flight in the tube 1 ismore than can be handled in the metering drum at one time, severalcharges may be made per flight through the proper setting of theelectrical controls. The electrical controls include a two-phase timer45 (Figure VII) having Ofi indicia for drum loading and On indicia forfurnace loading. 7 The Oil indicia are used in controlling the vibrator3% for loading the metering drum 22. If the drum is manually loaded thetimer is used for signalling the operator. it is set for not less thanthe maximum time allowed for filling the metering drum 22. The Onindicia are used in controlling the metering drum 22 and the vibrator1'7 which operate together. The timer is set for the time allotted forfeeding the articles into the furnace which will vary with the type ofarticles, pounds charged per hour, fur nace cycle, etc. The limit switch33 normally stops the motor 31 driving the vibrator 30 or signals theoperator manually loading the drum 22 when the weight set on the scalebeam is in the drum. However, if sufiicient weight is not in the drum 22at the end of the period set on the OfF indicia on the timer 45, thetimer will stop the loading and the articles in the drum will feed intothe furnace retort or tube 1 by means of the vibrator 17 to maintain theproper cycle. In other words, the first timer setting, the Off setting,permits automatic transfer of specified amounts of articles from workhandling apparatus into the rotatable metering drum 22. The second timersetting, the On setting, regulates the feeding cycle to the furnace ofthe drum 2-2 and the vibrating transfer mechanism 17 that operate as asingle unit.

Referring to Figure VII, when the feeding apparatus is to be operated,current flows through a lead 46 to energize a timer motor 47 and thenflows to the other side of the line. The current from the lead 46 alsoflows through a'lead 48, Off timer contacts 49, push button contacts 50,and through the contacts of the limit switch 33 controlled by the lever23 to energize the motor 31 driving the vibrator 30. if the drum 22 isbeing manually loaded a signal light or hell to warn the operator may besubstituted for the motor 31. The push button contacts 50 are openedwhen the loading device is permanently shut olf in order to clear thefurnace. Thus, both the Off timer contacts 4 9 and the contacts of thelimit switch 33' control loading of the drum 22, i.e., the motor 31driving the vibrator 3t feeding articles into th drum 22 is stoppedeither by the opening of the contacts of the limit switch 33 operated bythe lever 23 or by the opening of the Off timer contacts 49.

After the Off timer contacts 49 which are set for not less than themaximum time allowed for filling the drum 22 open, the On timer contacts51 close and current flows through a lead 52, upper push button contacts53 and through relay contacts 54 closed on forward rotation oftheco'nveyor' tube 1 to energize both the motor is driving the vibrator17 and the motor 26 rotating the metering drum 22. When the contacts 53and 54 are closed, as indicated in Figure VII, unloading of the drum 22resulting in loading of the conveyor tube 1 takes place only duringforward rotation of the conveyor tube 1. However, the relay contacts 54may be bypassed by moving the pushbutton controlling the upper contacts53 permitting current to flow through the now closed lower contacts 55of the push button. This results in continuous charging of the furnacetube 1, except for the time required for loading the metering drum 22.

An example cycle for automatically feeding articles into the conveyortube 1 is as follows: The conveyor tube 1 may be rotated forward 180degrees then back 165 degrees forty-eight times or cycles per hour.Since degrees of forward rotation are gained per cycle, this results intwo complete 360 degree revolutions per hour causing a demand for theloading of a flight in the conveyor tube 1 every one-half hour so thateach article to be heat treated receives the same through time. Thetimer 45 could then be set for three minutes On (contacts 51 closed) andtwenty-seven minutes Oif (contacts 49 closed) to give an optimum loadevery one-half hour per flight. During the Off time of the timer 45, themetering drum 22 loads until the contacts of the limit switch 33controlled by the lever 23 open when the drum 22 contains a specifiedload stopping the motor 31 driving the vibrator 30. Then, during the Ontime of the timer 45, the furnace feed starts, i.e., the motor 18driving the vibrator 17 and the motor 26 rotating the drum 22 start andcontinue to run until shut off by the timer In addition to being chargedcontinuously, except for time required for loading the metering drum 22,or to being charged on the forward rotation of the conveyor tube 1, theconveyor tube may be charged when it is stopped. Referring to FiguresVIII and IX, a timer 45a having three sets of contacts 56, 57 and 58operates when current flows through a lead 46a and through the contactsof a limit switch 59, closed when moved to the right, as viewed inFigure IX, by a cam 60 attached to the periphery of the oscillatingconveyor tube 1 and wide enough to form an angle 61 greater than theangle of forward rotation of the tube less the angle of backwardrotation, to energize a timer motor 47a. Energization of the timer motor47a closes timer contacts 56 and 57 and opens timer contacts 58 duringthe first timing period. Closing of the timer contacts 57 bypasses thecontacts of the limit switch 59. Closing of the timer contacts 56energizes a motor 18a driving a vibrator corresponding to the vibrator17 and energizes a motor 26a rotating a metering drum corresponding tothe metering drum 22 feeding articles into the conveyor tube 1 whichtube is stopped, since the now open timer contacts 58 prevent currentfrom flowing to a conveyor tube drive motor 62. During the second timingperiod, the timer contacts 56 open shutting off current to the motors18a and 26a, the timer contacts 57 remain closed continuing thebypassing of the contacts of the limit switch 59, and the timer contacts58 close energizing both the conveyor tube drive motor 62 and a motor31a driving a vibrator corresponding to the vibrator 3t). Energizationof the motor 62 starts oscillation of the conveyor tube 1 and operationof the vibrator loads a drum corresponding to the metering drum 22 untilcurrent is shut off to the motor 31a by the opening of the contacts of alimit switch 33:: controlled by a lever 23a.

counterclockwise rotation of the conveyor tube 1, as viewed in FigureIX, causes the cam 61 to open the limit switch 5?. The timer contacts 56remain open, the timer contacts 57 remain closed, and the timer contacts5% remain closed during resetting of the timer 45a. When timed out,timer contacts 56 remain open, timer contacts 57 open, and timercontacts 58 remain closed. Opening of the contacts of the limit switch59 and the opening of the timer contacts 57 cuts otf current to thetimer motor 57a, current was already cut off to the motors lfitz'and-26a by the opening of the timer contacts 56, and current continues toflow through the closed timed out timer contacts 58 keeping the conveyortube drive motor 62 energized. The continued energization of the drivemotor 62 keeps the conveyor tube 1 rotating back and forth until the camagain moves the limit switch S9 to the right closing the limit switch 59and energizing the timer motor 47:; to repeat the foregoing cycle.

The foregoing described lever mechanism including the balancing typelever 23 is satisfactory for most installations even though variationsin the positioning of the articles in the drum 22 changes the leverageand may cause some variations in the weight of the measured loads fedinto the drum. In cases where it is desired to have no change in theleverage due to variation of the positioning of the articles in thedrum, a form of lever mechanism shown in Figure X may be substituted forthe lever mechanism shown in Figure III.

The lever mechanism shown in Figure X includes a lever 63 fulcrumed upona bearing-supporting bracket 64 and having two load pivots 65, one foreach corner at the left hand end of a platform 66. Each of the loadpivots 65 directly carries a platform support 57. Platform supports asare hung from parallel links 69 depending from one arm of an equal armlever '70 which is fulcrumed upon a bearing-supporting bracket '71. Theother arm of the lever 7t) supports a second pair of parallel links 72pivotally connected to the lever 63. Loads placed upon the platform 66cause the right hand end of the platform to move downwardly, as viewedin Figure X, causing in turn an upward movement of the right hand end ofthe lever 63, as indicated by the arrow in Figure r X. The platform 56is faxed against sidewise movement by means of the load pivots 6S andpivots '73 cooperating with the bearing in the bracket 6d and arcuatemovement or the platform is accommodated by the parallel links 6 and 72.I

A metering drum 22b is mounted for rotation on four rollers 34brotatably mounted in brackets 35b fixed to the platform 66. The drum 22bis rotated to discharge a specified load of articles contained thereinby means of a turning chain 365 extending in a looped path around a gearon one end of the drum and around a drive gear on a shaft turned by agear reducer 27b also fixed to the platform 66. Articles, later to becharged into the furnace, are fed into the drum 2222 until apredetermined weight is reached as set by a poise 32b on the lever 63.When the drum 221; contains a specified load, the end of the iever 63above a limit switch 3% moves upwardly and allows the limit switch toopen.

The embodiments of the invention herein shown and described are to beregarded as illustrative only and it is to be understood that theinvention is susceptible to variation, modification, and change withinthe spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination,automatically operable means for supplying articles of relatively smallsize to be heat treated, a device for dividing such articles into lotsof uniform weight, said device comprising automatic lot weighingmechanism having a load receiver in the form of a revoluble drumarranged to receive articles from said means for supplying articles,lever mechanism supporting said drum, load counterbalancing meansconnected to said lever mechanism, means activated upon loading intosaid drum a lot of articles to a predetermined weight of articles forinterrupting the operation of said means for supplying articles to saiddrum, means for thereupon rotating said drum, a series of baffies withinsaid drum acting upon rotation thereof to carry upwardly and thensuccessively dump portions of such lot, a chute so located as to receivearticles so dumped by said baflies and to take such E articles out ofsuch drum, a vibratory conveyor receiving articles from said chute, anda heat treating furnace into which such articles are fed by saidvibratory conveyor.

2. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination,automatically operable means for supplying articles of relatively smallsize to be heat treated, weighing mechanism having a load receiver toreceive articles from said means for supplying articles, said loadreceiver consisting of a drum revoluble upon a horizontal axis andhaving axial openings in opposite sides, adjustable loadcounterbalancing means operatively connected to said load receiver forselecting a predetermined weight, means activated upon loading of saidload receiver with alot of such articles to said predetermined weightfor interrupting the operation of said means for supplying articles,means for successively discharging portions of such lot from said loadreceiver, conveyor mechanism to receive articles so discharged and aheat treating furnace into which said articles are fed by saidconveyor-mechanisrn.

3. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination, avibratory conveyor for supplying articles of relatively small size to beheat treated, a device for dividing such articles into lots of uniformweight, said device comprising automatic lot weighing mechanism having aload receiver in the form of a revoluble drum arranged to receivearticles from said means for supplying articles, lever mechanismsupporting said drum, load counterbalancing means connected to saidlever mechanism, means activated upon loading into said drum a lot ofarticles to a predetermined weight of articles for interrupting theoperation of said vibratory conveyor, means for thereupon rotating saiddrum, a series of bafiies within said drum acting upon rotation thereofto carry upwardly and then successively dump portions of such lot, achute so located as to receive articles so dumped by said baflles and totake such articles out of such drum, a second vibratory conveyorreceiving articles from said chute, and a heat treating furnace intowhich such articles are fed by said second vibratory conveyor.

4. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination,automatically operable means for supplying articles of relatively smallsize to be heat treated, a device for dividing such articles into lotsof uniform weight, said device comprising automatic lot weighingmechanism having a load receiver in the form of a re voluble drumarranged to receive articles from said means for supplying articles,lever mechanism supporting said drum, load counterbalancing meansconnected to said lever mechanism, means activated upon loading intosaid drum a lot of articles to a predetermined weight of articles forinterrupting the operation of said means for supplying articles to saiddrum, means for thereupon r tating said drum, a series of bafiles withinsaid drum acting upon rotation thereof to carry upwardly and thensuccessively dump portions of such lot, a chute so located as to receivearticles so dumped by said bafiles and to take such articles out of suchdrum, a vibratory conveyor receiving articles from said chute, and aheat treating furnace into which such articles are fed by said vibratoryconveyor, said furnace having a conveyor tube for moving articlestherethrough.

5. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination,automatically operable means for supplying articles of relatively smallsize to be heat treated, a device for dividing such articles into lotsof predetermined and uniform weight, said device comprising weighingmechanism having a drum revoluble upon a horizontal axis and having anopening in its side to receive articles from said means for supplyingarticles, adjustable load counterbalancing means operatively connectedto said drum for selecting paid predetermined weight, means activatedupon loading of said drum with a lot of such articles to saidpredetermined weight for interrupting the operanen of said ni'e'ans forsupplying articles, means for 8 successively discharging portions ofsuch lot from said drum, conveyor mechanism to receive articles sodischarged and a heat treating furnace into which said articles are fedby said conveyor mechanism, said furnace having a conveyor tube formoving articles therethrough.

6. in automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination, avibratory conveyor for supplying articles of relatively small size to beheat treated, a device for dividing such articles into lots of uniformweight, said device comprising automatic lot Weighing mechanism having aload receiver in the form of a revoluble drum arranged to receivearticles from said means for supplying articles, lever mechanismsupporting said drum, load counterbalancing means connected to saidlever mechanism, means activated upon loading into said drum :1 lot ofarticles to a predetermined Weight of articles for interrupting theoperation of said vibratory conveyor, means for thereupon rotating saiddrum, a series of baffles Within said drum acting upon rotation thereofto carry upwardly and then successively dump portions of such lot, achute so located as to receive articles so dumped by said baffles and totake such articles out of such drum, a second vibratory conveyorreceiving articles from said chute, and a heat treating furnace intowhich such articles are fed by said second vibratory conveyor, saidfurnace having a conveyor tuhe for moving articles therethrough.

7. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination, adevice for dividing articles of relatively small size to be heat treatedinto lots of uniform weight, said device comprising automatic lotWeighing mechanism having a load receiver in the form of a revolubledrum arranged to receive articles from said means for supplyingarticles, lever mechanism supporting said drum, load counterbalancingmeans connected to said lever mechanism, means activated upon loadinginto said drum a lot of articles to a predetermined weight of articlesto transmit a signal for interrupting the supplying of articles to saiddrum, means for thereupon rotating said drum, a series of baffles withinsaid drum acting upon rotation thereof to carry upwardly and thensuccessively dump portions of such lot, a chute so located as to receivearticles so dumped by said baflles and to take such articles out of suchdrum, a vibratory conveyor receiving articles from said chute, anda'heat treating furnace into which such articles are fed by saidvibratory conveyor.

8. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination, adevice for dividing articles to be heat treated into lots ofpredetermined and uniform weight, said device comprising weighingmechanism having a drum revoluble upon a horizontal axis and having anopening in one side thereof to receive articles of relatively small sizeto be heat treated, adjustable load counterbalancing means operativelyconnected to said drum, means activated upon loading of said drum with alot of such articles to said predetermined weight to transmit a signalfor interrupting the supplying of articles to said Weighing mechanism, aseries of bafiles within said drum for successively discharging portionsof such lot from said drum, conveyor mechanism to receive articles sodischarged and a heat treating furnace into which said articles are fedby said conveyor mechanism.

9. Inautomatic feeding and heat treating apparatus,

in combination, a device for dividing articles of relatively small sizeto be heat treated into lots of uniform weight, said device comprisingautomatic lot Weighing mechanism having a load receiver in the form of adrum revoluble upon a horizontal axis, lever mechanism supporting saiddrum, load counterbalancing means connected'to said lever mechanism,means for periodically interrupting the operation of said means forsupplying articles to said drum, means for thereupon rotating said drum,a series of baflles within said drum acting upon rotation of said drumto carry upwardly and then successively dump portions of such lot, achute so located as to receive articles so dumped and to take sucharticles out of such drum,

a conveyor receiving articles from said chute, and a heat treatingfurnace into which such articles are fed by said conveyor.

10. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination, adevice for dividing articles of relatively small size to be heat treatedinto lots of uniform weight, said device comprising automatic lotweighing mechanism having a load receiver in the form of a revolubledrum arranged to receive such articles, lever mechanism supporting saiddrum, load counterbalancing means connected to said lever mechanism, atimer, means activated after a predetermined interval measured by saidtimer or activated upon loading into said drum a lot of articles to apredetermined weight of articles prior to the expiration of suchpredetermined interval to signal the interruption of supply of sucharticles to said load receiver, means for thereupon rotating said drum,a series of baffles Within said drum acting upon rotation thereof tocarry upwardly and then successively dump portions of such lot, a chuteso located as to receive articles so dumped by said baffies and to takesuch articles out of such drum, a vibratory conveyor receiving articlesfrom said chute, and a heat treating furnace into which such articlesare fed by said vibratory conveyor.

11. In automatic feeding and heat treating apparatus, in combination,avvibratory conveyor for supplying ar- 10 ticles of relatively smallsize to be heat treated, weighing mechanism having a load receiver toreceive articles from said vibratory conveyor, load counterbalancingmeans operatively connected to said load receiver, a timer, meansactivated after a predetermined interval measured by said timer oractivated upon loading of said load receiver with a lot of such articlesto a predetermined weight prior to the expiration of such interval forinterrupting the operation of said means for supplying articles, meansfor successively discharging portions of such lot from said loadreceiver, conveyor mechanism to receive articles so discharged and aheat treating furnace into which said articles are fed by said conveyormechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS847,451 Wilmore Mar. 19, 1907 865,203 Mustonen et a1 Sept. 3, 19071,086,843 Nissinen Feb. 10, 1914 1,744,273 Lemont Jan. 21, 19302,624,561 Heyn Jan. 6, 1953 2,629,482 De Back Feb. 24, 1953 2,630,312Carrier et a1. Mar. 3, 1953 2,652,141 Gilmore Sept. 15, 1953

